All our tips for getting started with dockstarts in surf foiling

To successfully dockstart on a foil, you need to generate speed by running on the pontoon or dock with the board in your hands (hold the board by the rails) and position the foil slightly under the water. Try to run as fast as possible while maintaining your balance. Generally, the smaller your foil, the more speed you will need to pick up. Some large foils like our 2000 HA require almost no speed to start, our riders can even start from a standstill. So adapt your travel speed to the power and surface of your front wing.

Once you've generated enough speed by running, it's time to jump onto the board. To do this, release the front rail of the board to place your front hand on the board's surface, and jump onto it, landing with your feet well-positioned. You can use the position of your hands to help position your feet as close as possible to the ideal position.

Foot placement is very important, as incorrect placement is difficult to correct. It's up to you to define your optimal position. Generally, on a small board, the back foot is directly over the mast and the front foot is just behind the front hand, which is positioned on the deck.

Bruno SROKA's advice: Keep your gaze fixed forward and try to be as stable and "straight" as possible during landing. "Straight" means your center of gravity should be above the board. If you are too far forward, backward, left, or right, you start with an imbalance that will be difficult to correct.

4 – Stay airborne: master foil pumping

Once you are well-positioned on the board, it's time to start pumping and gliding for as long as possible. To do this, continue to generate speed with pumping and oscillate your foil downwards, then lighten your pressure so that the foil rises again. Ideally, it's not just the legs that work; you need to transmit energy to the foil by using your entire body weight through imbalance.

Keep your gaze fixed forward and try to keep your center of gravity above the board while airborne.

Flying as high as possible will reduce foil drag and thus allow you to fly longer with minimal effort.

Arm movement during pumping: initially, you can use your arms to lighten yourself, which also helps to set a pumping frequency and rhythm. As you improve, the use of arms becomes less necessary.

By following these steps and practicing regularly, you should be able to master the dockstart foil technique and take off quickly and easily from any pontoon or dock.

Your first dockstart session: what to expect?

The first dockstart session is both a frustrating and motivating experience. Here's what you need to know before you start:

• Expect to fall often. Repetition and practice are key. Each attempt teaches you something.
  
• Start with a large foil. A front wing with a lot of surface area forgives starting errors.
  
• Set micro-goals. In the first few sessions, the goal is simply to stand on the board after the jump, before even thinking about flying.
  
• Plan 30 to 60 minutes of training — dockstarting is physically intense. Muscle strengthening guaranteed, especially for the legs, back, and abs.
  
• Film yourself. Reviewing your technique is one of the most effective ways to identify your mistakes and progress in dockstarting.
  

Common mistakes and tips to avoid bad starts

Here are the main mistakes to avoid, and the little extras to remember:

• Prioritize a rigid foil that allows you to automatically transmit your pressure to the foil. You will gain efficiency.
  
• Fall and contact with the bottom: choose a spot with sufficiently deep water. Check that there are no buoys or chains under the pontoon to avoid damaging the foil.
  
• Incorrect foot positioning: poor placement upon landing is very difficult to correct in flight. Practice this movement on dry land on the pontoon before starting.
  
• Too much or not enough running speed: always adapt your speed to the surface of your front wing. A large HA foil requires less momentum than a compact mid-aspect foil.
  
• Avoid hitting your board continuously on the pontoon to preserve your equipment for as long as possible.
  
• When you fall, try to hold onto your board to prevent it from hitting a boat if you are in a harbor.

High aspect ratio foils are the most efficient because they offer better glide and glide much longer and more easily with less effort. They are made for those who want to cover long distances by pumping. However, they are more technical to master at the start and to relaunch after a turn, due to their large wingspan.

Our best HA wings dedicated to pumping are the Lift 1350 and 2000.

The 1350 will be perfectly suited for lighter riders (under 70 kg) or advanced riders who want to go faster.

The 2000 will be suitable for riders over 70 kg or anyone who wants to glide for a long time with less effort.

A wing with a large wingspan will give you much more glide but will turn slower. So if you are looking for record times or distances, we advise you to use this type of front wing with a high aspect ratio.

By definition, the stabilizer is there to stabilize and provide a little lift to the foil.

A large stabilizer will make pumping easier at the start, by slightly slowing down the foil and giving more support on the foil. But it will block the foil's oscillation a bit more and slow down your foil more.

A smaller stabilizer will increase the foil's glide and stabilize the foil less. Consequently, it will make the foil easier to oscillate. It will require more finesse in the inputs and will therefore be more technical (recommended for good riders).

We have developed a 290 cm HA stabilizer with high elongation. It allows you to fly for a long time with less effort. However, it will slow down the foil.

The goal of pumping is to fly as long as possible and/or cover the greatest distance. Therefore, speed requires a lot of speed and will not allow you to fly very long. With the aim of starting pumping or flying for a very long time, we advise you to choose a larger stabilizer (the 290 HA).